Shimla deputy commissioner (DC) Anupam Kashyap on Tuesday held a meeting with operators and representatives of various drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres functioning in the Shimla district. The meeting was aimed at strengthening the Shimla district administration’s campaign against drug abuse.
The DC expressed concern over complaints of drugs being made available to persons undergoing treatment at de-addiction centres. He directed the centre operators to ensure that there was no scope for such practices at institutions whose primary objective was to help people overcome addiction. Treatment, counselling, rehabilitation and reintegration of affected persons into their families and society were equally important. The availability of trained doctors and, wherever required, psychiatrists at treatment centres is mandatory. In cases of overdose, round-the-clock availability of a doctor must be ensured. For women and minors, on-call services of a gynaecologist and paediatrician, respectively, are required. Kashyap directed all centre operators to undertake necessary improvements in their facilities, treatment and counselling systems, staff responsibilities, record maintenance, security arrangements and overall quality of patient care. He called upon all concerned departments, de-addiction centres, health professionals, educational institutions, families and civil society to actively participate in the campaign to build a drug-free society.
At least one full-time counsellor must be available for every 30 patients. He emphasised the need for sustained efforts even after treatment to reconnect recovering persons with their families, education, skill development, employment and society, so that they could avoid relapse and lead a normal life with dignity and self-respect.
The DC said the fight against drug abuse could not be confined to action against drug peddlers. “Rehabilitation is not the end of treatment — it is the beginning of a new life,” he said. Collective effort needed for drug-free society: SSP Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gaurav Singh said the fight against drug abuse could succeed only when strict action against drug peddlers was accompanied by equally serious efforts towards treatment and rehabilitation of affected persons.
